Contractible tent or awning



Feb. 8', 1938;

w. F. HEWLETT CQNTRACTIBLE TENT OR AWNING Filed Aug. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l K +3 Hmmm. 30

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Feb. 8,1933.r

w. F. HEWLETT 2,107,608 Y CONTRACTIBLE TENT OR AWNING Filed Aug. 3, 1957 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 8, 1938. w. FHEWLETT CONTRACTIBLE TENT OR AWNING Filed Aug. 3, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3l mnummun l Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,101,601; coNTn-ACTIBLE TENT on AWNING William F. Hewlett, Upland, Calif. Application Anm: s, 1937, serial No. 157,128

4 Claims. This invention relates to a contractible tent or awning which'. is particularly adapted for use in connection with automobile trailers, but is also applicable as an awning for general purposes.

'Ihe main object of the present invention is to provide a tent or awning which can be quickly and easily changed from contracted to extended position.

Another object of the invention is to provide.

a device of this character which when in contracted position is concealed from view andy protected from the Weather.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trailer provided ith the awning, the parts being shown in position whereinthe awning or tent is in contracted and protected position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the tent or awning exposed but contracted, with the upper closure member swung back to more clearly show the interior parts.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a, side elevation showing the tent or awning let down into position for convenient manipulation of same as hereinafter described.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the tent or awning in fully extended position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section showing the tent or awning in extended position, taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 1 -1 in Fig. 6, showing the means'for moving the arms for extending the tent or awning.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, 'showing auxiliary supporting means in the form of legs for supporting the ends of the tent or awning when in extended position. I

I will describe my invention in detail as applied to an automobile trailer, it being understood, however, that it can be applied in any connection where a tent or awningvis to be support,- edin such manner that it can be placed in either y contracted or extended position.

A trailer indicated at I is provided with a suitable casing means 2 which may be built into the trailer orbuilt onto or recessed into a trailer a1- ready. constructed, said casing means forming a horizontal recess 3 and vertical recesses 4 ex'- tending downwardly from the ends oi.' thehorizontal recess 3, suitable closure means 5 and 6 being provided. for these recesses, said closure means being, for example, formed as doorsl hinged to the casing and provided if desired with suitable yfasteners I for holding them in closed position. .Means such as a sliding bar 8 may be provided for holding the upper door 5 in raised position as shown in Fig. 3 when it is desired to unfold or extend the tent or awning.

A roller or drum I0 is mounted on a 'shaft II 5 extending within the recess 3, said shaft being rotatably mounted in bearings I2 on the casing 2, and provided with suitable operating means hereinafter described. 'Ihe tent or awning is secured to and winds on this roller and consists of suitable fabric or curtain eans of canvas or other suitable flexible sheet material preferably formed in two sections, namely, an inner section I3 adapted to form the top of the tent or awning and an outer section I4 formed as outl5 ward continuation of the inner section I3 or connected to the outer edge thereof and adapted to form the side or vertical wall of the tent or awning. In addition, particularly when the device is used as a folding tent for trailers, the 20 said flexible fabric or curtain means is also provided with flaps I5 at the respective ends of section I3. Button, snap, or other fasteners I4' are provided for securing the outer edge` portion of section I4 to section I3 when in folded position, and similar fasteners I5' are provided for securing the outer edges of flaps I5 to adjacent edges of section I4 when in extended position.

In order to hold the tent or awning in extended position a cross bar I6, connected to the cur'- 30 tain means at the junction ofthe sections I3 and I4 thereof, is provided with arms I1 which are connected by pivots I9 at their inner ends respectively to sleeves or nuts I 9 sliding on and threadedly engaging vertical screw-rod members 20, each of which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 23 and 23 on the casing 2, and is provided, for example, with external threads 2| extending helically around the rod, and engaging internal threads or other means on the co- 40 acting nuts or sliding member I9 (see Fig. 7) so that rotation of the rod 20 will raise or lower the slide member I9 according to the direction of rotation of the rod. A set screw 22 may be provided, if desired, for securing the slide mem- 45 ber in elevated-position.

Suitable means are preferably provided for efiecting simultaneous operation of the curtain roller I0 and operation cf the elevating rods 20, said means comprising, for example, a vertical shaft 24 extending in a recess 4 and joumaled in4 suitable bearings 23 and 23' in the casing 2, the shaft 24 carrying at its upper end a bevel gear 25 engaging a corresponding bevel gear 26 on the shaft I I of the roller I0 and being proassociated operating structure.

vided at its lower end with a handle orcrank 21 for manual operation thereof and with a gear 28 engaging a gear 29 on the lower end of the screw rod 20 at that side of the device. In order to operate the screw rod 20 at the other end of the device the shaft may be provided at. such other end gear 30 engaging a bevel shaft 32 which is rotatably mounted in the other recess l in suitable bearings on the casing' 2 and is connected at its lower end by suitabie gears 33 and 34 to the vertical rod or screw ^means 20 at that end. It will be understood that the pitch of the screw means ami the ratio of the gears will be determined byy the requirements of any particular cese; the parts being so proportioned that when the flexible member I3 is fully unwound from the roller, the slide members i9 will be raised suiliciently to cause the arms il to hang downwardlyas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5I, into position to bring the section it into convenient position for manipulation as hereinafter set forth. In this position of the parts, the slide members i@ are near the topf of the screw threads or helical :means on screw rods 2t, but such thread means extend upwardly somewhat vfarther, so that continued operatien of handle 2 in the same direction willstill farther elevate the slide members iii until they are with a. bevel brought against bearings 2d or other stop means.'

which are suitably positioned to give the desired inclination to the top of the tent, and in this further operation of the handle the roller it), being rotated farther in the same direction, efiects partial reverse winding thereon of the section i3 of the tent or awning. The slide mem 'bers i@ preferably slide on the shafts 2t and 32 as well as on the rod 2@ so as to provides. better support- It will be understood that instead-,of the casn ing 2 any other suitable supporting means may be provided for the tent or awning means and its When the device is 'applied as described in connection with a trailer, the .parts will normally be in contracted position and 'enclosed within the recesses 3 and I, thedoors 5 and 8 being closed and fastened as shown in Fig. 1 so as to protect all the parts from the weather and present a neat appearance. The described construction does not interi'ere with access to or outlook from, the

' trailer; for example through door 35 and window lill 36. When the tent is to be used, thedoors 5 and 6 are opened, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In tlds v position the curtain means or tent is completely wound oinoller I0, the slide members I8 are at their lowest position, and the arms I1 extend approximately vertically within the recesses l from the slide members I9 the cross bar IB which is then adjacent the roller I0.

When it is desired to extend the tent or awning to position for use, the handle 21 is operated to turn roller i0 so as to. unwind. the curtain means from the roller and permit its outer edge to move outward and downward by. gravitative action,

while at the same time the slide members ID 'are moved. upwardly. by rotation of screw rods 2l, so as to raise the inner ends of arms I1 to the position shown in Figs and in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the tent or curtain means beingthen wholly unwound from roller ,tu In this position the enter section I4 of the tent is folded over and in front o1' the inner section I3 and is secured thereto. at its upper edge by. fasteners I4' and the naps Il are folded back between sections I3 and Ii for the roller It gear 3l on a vertical aroigcos M, the assemblage of sections I3, Il and I5 hanging from the roller I0 in convenient position for manipulation there-oi, as shown in Fig. 4. The operator then unfastens the buttons, snaps or other fasteners I4' and allows sections i4 and aps l5 to drop or be extendedat the outer side and ends respectively. Operation of handle 2 is then continued to wind the tent sectien I3 part way back on roller I0, -in the opposite direction, and to raise the arms I'i further to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The tent section i3 then extends outwardly from the roller to form the top of the tent, and the section I4 and aps i5 extend vertically to form the outer side and ends of the tent, the inner side of the tent being fermed by the trailer wall, so that access to the tent can be had through door 35. The daps it can then be secured to the section it by fasteners iii'. The tent may be held in this extended position by any suitable releasable means adapted to engage and position a movable part of the mechanism, such. as a catch member 2t' adapted to be moved into engagement with gear it, or the set-screw 22 adapted to clamp a slide member id in raised position as above described.

To fold or store the tent the reverse procedure to the above is followed, in ebvious manner.

When the tent or awning means is rae-wound on the roller, the assemblage of curtain parts i3, tl.

and it which have been folded and fastened as above described, are wound together on the roller.

When the tent is in extended position it may be iurther supported, if desired, as shown in Fig. S, by legs si pivotally secured to the cuter ends of arms il and adapted to swing ldo into position to rest on or engage the Lground. Each les 3i may be provided with a sliding extension SB, to provide the necessary length, such extension being clamped to the ieg by means te' when in use, and being slid back and secured in retracted position when the leg is oldedagainst the arm il, as shown in dotted lines.

It will be seen that whenthe parts are in contracted position the device does not increase the width of the trailer, and when the tent'is in extended position it provides additional room space, easily accessibe .through the trailer door. By using a similar tent at each side of the trailer the housing or sheltering capacityv of the trailer may-be practically tripled, orthe tent at one side may be used as an automobile shelter.

It will be understood that any suitable means may be provided for eecting manual operation of the above described mechanism -to extend or contract the tent. and that any suitable mechanical inter-connection may be provided between the roller operating mechanism and the means out departing from the teachings of the invention. v

I claim: 1. A contractible ltent er awning comprising supporting means 'a horizontal roller rotatably.

-mounted on said' supporting means, a exible curtain means winding on said roller, screw threaded vertical rods rotatably mounted at the ends of the roller, slide members mounted to ps ove vertically on said vertical rods and threadedly engaging the same to cause vertical move:

ment of the slide members on rotation o! the vertical rods, a. cross -bar attached to saidexlble .curtain means and provided withv supporting arms l ineens es the latter unwinds from the roller.-

2. A construction as set forth lin cisim 1, witherein the thread means on vertical rods are continued upwardly beyond a position correspending to complete unwinding 10i' 4 the curtain ineens from the roller, so that on further operation of the operating means the curtain means will ice partly wound on the roller in the opposite direction, and the supporting arms therefor will be further raised to proper position for full extension ci the curtain means,

A contractiioie tent or awning comprising supporting means, a horizontal` roller rotatably mounted on said supporting means, s iexible our tain menne Winding on said roller and including an inner section connected to the roller, an outer section connected to the inner section, and end naps exibly connected to the inner section, a' cross oor connected to the curtain means at the junction o the inner and outer sections thereof and provided with arms, means for raising -and lowering the inner ends of said arms, and operating means for simultaneously operating the roller and the means for moving said arms, the

sections of the curtain meansbeing provided with fasteners for detachably securing them together in folded position, and the outer section l and the flaps being provided with fastening means for detachably securing them together in extended position.

4. A contractible tent or awning comprising casing means formed with a horizontal recess and with vertical recesses extending downwardly from the ends of the horizontal recess, e, roller rotatably mounted in the horizontal recess, curtain means winding on said roller end adapted. when wound on the roller, to be' housed in said recess, e cross ber connected to the curtain means and having arms., menus mounted within the vertical recesses for operating the inner ends of said arms to raise and lower the some,L means mounted within the recom for operating the roller, and closure means for said recesses. Y A 

